Planalto House by Flavio Castro

Architect Flavio Castro has designed the Planalto House in São Paulo, Brazil.

Description

The way of appropriation of the 800 square meters available for the establishment of the house (20x40m) is quite clear. Two large perpendiculars volumes mark the territory and categorize the uses and functions of other areas of the land.

A rectangular prism, perpendicular to the street, contains the intimate features of the house on the upper floor, occupying only half of the land and releasing the other half for recreation and landscaping.

Serving as a support and focused only on the main floor, another rectangular prism, but in different proportions, contains the service and social functions of the house.

The upper volume seems to rest on the main floor, which creates a series of statements that reinforce the architectural propose. Main floor and upper floor are implanted orthogonally. Exactly on this single point of contact, there is the vertical connection between them.

The metal beams on the edge of the volume parallel to the street, reinforce the idea of independence between the volumes and reveal the structural functioning of the house. The residence has a mixed structure of pillars and metal “I” beams and massive slabs of concrete with 20 cm thickness.

The main access platform, located under the front overhang on the main floor, provides access to the corridor 1.80 m wide running through the house, connecting various environments. After passing through the service area, we come to the point of access to two key areas: the social rooms (like an indoor pavilion) and the barbecue area (recreation).

We could consider them as areas, although defined, diffuse it provides a series of possible uses in addition to which they were designed.

The same type of access is provided on the upper floor, where the monotony is broken by bays of double height (stair and the fireplace room) and isolated pillars.

A garden-terrace covers the main floor block of the garage and recreation area. It can be accessed by the stairs at the recreation area.It is a space of multiple functions.

The characteristics of the materials used in this residence as chromaticism, texture and transparency were carefully chosen because of the intentions pursued in each space. While the transparence integrates, the concrete do the oposite. The concrete walls divide the space, while the large sliding glass doors bring the landscape into the house.
The materials are sincere. The concrete, glass, wood and steel are shown in its essence, without intermediaries.

The Planalto house was conceived as a urban house for a couple with 02 children and could be considered as exemplary of the current Brazilian contemporary architecture.